Russian forces on the Caucasus Front 1914-15

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

I wonder if your interest falls into this area of the Russian Army?

I am trying to piece together the Russian Forces used in the operations against the Turkish 3rd Army during Nov - Dec 1914.

What I have;

Count Vorontsov-Dashkov CinC

Gen Myshlaevsky deputy CinC

Gen Yudenich CofS Caucasus

1st Caucasus Corps Gen Bergmann

20th Infantry Div

39th Infantry Div

1 Caucasus Rifle Brigade (Gen Istomin) +

1 Kuban Cossack Infantry (Plastun) Bde

1st Caucasus Cossack Div (Gen Baratov)

1 Caucasus Mortar Bn

1 Caucasus Sapper Bn

Caucasus Wireless Co

2nd Turkistan Corps - Gen Lesh T/att Gen Yudenich CofS Caucasus 12-14

(reports say this Corps had four Bdes of who only three have been found?)

4 Turkestan Rifle Bde

5 Turkestan Rifle Bde +

Transcaspian Cossack Bde (Gen Przevalsky CofS Col Temrin)

2 Turkestan Sapper Bn

Kushka Trains Co

To the South near Van

4th Caucasus Corps Gen Oganofski to Gen De Witt 12-15

66 Infantry Div

2nd Caucasian Rifle Bde 1-15 formed into 2nd Caucasian Rifle Div 11-15 Gen Nazarbekov 1-15

2nd Caucasian Cossack Div

2nd Caucasian Rifle Artillery Bde

Can you confirm that what I have is correct and add the names of missing General officers who commanded these formations?

Also I am still trying to fit in these two Bdes?

2 Kuban Cossack Infantry (Plastun) Bde

3 Caucasus Rifle Bde

Cheers

S.B

[trajan]

Interesting area of very neglected area of research, but can't help - except just to note that archaeological fieldworkers in the areas involved in the campaign have noted visible evidence of trenches and cartridge cases.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Yes an area missing in the study of the war.

The Russian invasion started in Nov 1914 but went quiet unit 1916 other then minor actions around Van during 1915.

I did wonder why the Russians didn't help more during the Gallipoli fighting by advancing to draw Turkish units away from there.

After the almost destruction of the 3rd Turkish Army at Sarikamis Dec 1914 was allowed to reform and remained idle until Jan 1916.

Of cause the Russian Army after that battle was just as knocked around, but could they have done more to help the Allies?

Cheers

S.B

[James A Pratt III]

There is a fine book on this campaign called Caucasian Battlefields 1828-1921" I must points out the Russians were not idle from December 1914 to January 1916.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

" Russians were not idle from December 1914 to January 1916"

As I stated there were minor actions around Van during 1915 by a Russian Corps helped by the so called rebellion by the locals.

The loss of Van drawn the Turkish forces but only a few as the fighting around Van Lake went on but died out soon after.

Most Turkish troops around Van Lake either disbanded or went south to fight the British in Iraq by the end on 1915.

As stated minor actions by few Troops both Russian and Turkish.

Some say if not for the rebellion in Van the Russians would not have pushed on to capture that City (April - May 1915).

S.B

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

Some Russian mates have filled out the Russian Order of battle to a state that makes it possible to see what was up in Nov 1914.

Russian Caucasus Army Count Vorontsov-Dashkov CinC
Russian Caucasus Army Gen Myshlaevsky deputy CinC

1st Caucasus Corps Gen Bergmann (Berhman) to Gen Kalitin 2-15 to Gen Liakhov 3-17 26th Border Guards Bde (-) part Bn & Sqn att Oltu 1st Caucasian Separate Horse Mountain Artillery Bn (12 Heavy guns) 1st Caucasus Mortar Artillery Bn - Col Petrenko (12 Heavy guns) reformed as Mortar Div June 1915 1st Caucasus Sapper Bn Caucasus Wireless Co 1st Caucasus Separate Sapper Co

20th Div Gen Istomin to Gen Bauer 3-15 to Gen Anosov 5-17 1 Bde Gen Nevtonov 77th and 78th Infantry Regts (4xBns each) 20th Artillery Bde - 2xArty bns (24 Light guns + 24 Mountain guns) - Gen Andrusskiy
20th Div 2 Bde Gen Vorobiev 79th Infantry Regt and 80th Kabardinskiy (Kabarda) Regt - Col Barkovskiy KIA 4-1-15 (4xBns each)

39th Div Gen De-Witt to Gen Riabinkin 1-16 to Gen Liakhov 5-16 to Gen Mdivani 3-17 to Gen Maslovskiy 8-17 1 Bde Gen Vorobyev 153rd and 154th Infantry Regts (4xBns each) 39th Artillery Bde - 2xArty bns (24 Light guns + 24 Mountain guns) - Col Kalin
39th Div 2 Bde Gen Dubisskiy 155th Kubinskiy (Kuba) Regt and 156th Yelizavetpolskyi Regt - Col Tseikhanovich to Col Fenenko 9-15 (4xBns each)

1st Caucasus Rifle Brigade formed into 1st Caucasian Rifle Div 4-15 Gen Bekov 4-15 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th Caucasian Rifle Regts (2xBns later 4xBns each)

1st Kuban Plastun Cossack Bde (-) Gen Przhevalskiy CofS Col Temrin 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th and 6th Kuban Plastun Cossack Bns

1st Caucasus Cossack Div Gen Baratov to Gen Raddatz 5-16 1st Zaporozhye Cossack Regt 1st Uman Cossack Regt 1st Kuban Cossack Regt (3rd Mozdok Mountaineers Cossack Regt at Oltu) 1st Caucasus Cossack Artillery Bn - 2nd Kuban Cossack Bty 1st Terek Cossack Bty (12 guns)

2nd Turkistan Corps T/att Gen Yudenich CofS Caucasus 11-14 to Gen Przhevalskiy 2-15 to Gen Chaplygin 4-17 to Gen Savitskiy 10-17 25th Border Guards Bde (-) Bn & Sqn at Batumi

4th Turkestan Rifle Bde formed into 4th Turkestan Rifle Div 5-15 Col Azaryev 13th 14th 15th and 16th Turkestan Rifle Regts (2xBns later 4xBns each) 4th Turkestan Artillery Bn (24 guns) - Col Avtonomov

5th Turkestan Rifle Bde formed into 5th Turkestan Rifle Div 11-15 Gen Chaplygin 17th and 18th Turkestan Rifle Regt 23rd Turkestan Rifle Regt with (19th Turkestan Rifle Regt - Col Litvinov at Batumi) (2xBns later 4xBns each) 5th Turkestan Artillery Bn (16 guns) - Col Dmitriev

Reinforcment 1915

2nd Kuban Plastun Cossack Bde Gen Gulyga to Col Krasnopevtsev 2-15 to Gen Bukretov 7-16 7th 8th 9th 10th and 11th Kuban Plastun Cossack Bns 12Bn (-) at Makin

Makin garrison 12Bn/2nd Kuban Plastun Cossack Bde 2nd Armenian druzhinas (Militia Bn)

Tiflis garrison Siberian Cossack Bde Gen Kalitin to Col Raddatz 9-15 1st and 2nd Siberian Cossack Regts 2nd Orenburg Cossack Bty (6 guns)

Batumi region Garrison 264th Infantry Regt/66 Infantry Div 19th Turkestan Rifle Regt/5th Turkestan Rifle Bde Bn/1st Kuban Plastun Cossack Bde infantry bn and cavalry sqn/25th Border Guards Bde 4Bty/66th Artillery Bde (8 guns?) Mikhalovskiy Fortress Sapper Bn

Kars garrison 3rd Caucasus Rifle Bde formed into 3rd Caucasian Rifle Div 6-15 Gen Gabayev to Gen Bitsiutko 11-15 to Gen Iozefovich 6-16 T/att Gen Danilovich 11-16 to Gen Schutskoy 11-16 to Gen Meder 4-17 9th 10th 11th and 12th Caucasian Rifle Regts + 263rd Infantry Regt/66th Infantry Div 3rd Caucasus Artillery Bn (18 guns)

the forces that attack down near Van

Russian Azerbaijan Army Gen Chernozubov CinC Azerbaijan 4th Caucasus Corps 11-14 Gen Oganofski to Gen De Witt 12-15 26th (part) and 27th Frontier Guard bdes 2nd (Dro) - Col Kanaian and 3rd (Amazasp) Armenian druzhinas - Col Amazasp (Militia Bns) 2nd separate Caucasian Sapper Co

66 Div Gen Oganovskiy 10-14 to Gen Voropanov 3-15 to Gen Savitskiy 10-15 1 Bde Gen Nazarbekov 261st Akhulginskiy (Akhulgo) Regt - Col Potto 262nd Groznenskiy (Groznaia) Regt (4xBns each) 66th Artillery Bde - 2xArty bns (48 guns) (-) 4bty at Batumi
66 Div 2 Bde Gen Amasiyskiy 263rd Gunibskiy (Gunib) Regt - Col Chernogorov at Kars and 264th Georgievskiy (Georgievsk) Regt at Batumi (4xBns each)

2nd Caucasian Rifle Bde 1-15 formed into 2nd Caucasian Rifle Div 11-15 Gen Voropanov to Gen Nazarbekian 3-15 5th 6th 7th and 8th Caucasian Rifle Regts (2xBns later 4xBns each) 2nd Caucasian Rifle Artillery Bn (24 guns)

2nd Caucasian Cossack Div reformed as Rifle Div 12-16 Gen Abatsiev to Gen Kulebiakin 7-16 1st (Kuban) bde Gen Pevnev 1st Labinskiy (Laba) Regt 1st Chernomorskiy (Black Sea) Regt replaced by 3rd Chernomorskiy Regt 5-15 to 6th Corps 8-16 replaced by 3rd Sunzhensko Vladikavkazskiy (Terek host) Regt 12-16 2nd Caucasian cossack horse artillery Bn - 1st and 5th Kuban cossack btys (12 guns?)
2nd Caucasian Cossack Div 2nd (Terek) bde Gen Potto 3rd Volgskiy (or Volzhskiy; Volga) (Terek cossack host) Regt 3rd Chernomorskiy (Kuban host) Regt replaced by 3rd Zaporozhskiy (Kuban host) Regt 2-15 - 3rd Volgskiy Regt and 3rd Kizliaro-Grebenskoy (Terek host) Regt by 8-15

These are the known Russian forces that fought the early battle on this front.

S.B